


Paper Planes

by soobinology



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Dancer Beomgyu, First Loves, Hurt Soobin, M/M, Moving On, Sad, cafe owner taehyun, forgivenes, getting back together again, idol yeonjun, little angst, model soobin, photographer hueningkai, please dont hate kai, they meet again, this is my bday gift for kai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:06:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25894117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soobinology/pseuds/soobinology
Summary: In which Soobin meets Huening Kai again after three years since he disappeared on his birthday. The problem, he doesn't recognize any of them,
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Huening Kai
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	Paper Planes

**Author's Note:**

> My birthday gift for our lovely hyuka!

**MY GUM [11:11 PM]**

_I’m sorry, hyung._

Soobin blinked back the tears as he reads the almost three year old text message. _This is not healthy but fuck, I miss him._ If his friends ever find out that he hasn’t deleted this message, he could already imagine the pity and disappointment on their faces. But could they really blame him? This was the only thing he had left from him. Three years ago, driven by anger, pain and sadness, Soobin had burned everything to ashes, thinking that it was the only way to forcefully forget him _._ Burn everything about him. Maybe it was a wishful thinking from the twenty-year old him.

He sighed, wiping his tears away as he shut his phone off, reaching over his night stand to place back his phone, willing himself to get a much needed sleep. But even in his sleep, the same face haunts his dreams every night. He turns to his side, facing the floor-to-ceiling window of his penthouse, watching the bright city lights of Tokyo, brimming with life under the starry night, wondering if _he_ was also staring at the same night sky or was _he_ in a place with a different time zone, basking under the warm glow of the sun. Three years ago, he had walked out of Soobin’s life with only a text message of “I’m Sorry,” before disappearing from the ends of the earth leaving Soobin in a cycle of crying and self-blame for over half a year before his friends finally staged an intervention when they noticed that he was dangerously tiptoeing on the edge of depression. Thanks to their help, he finally pulled himself together and focused on his rising career as a model under AJIN Agency.

Just as his lids starts to close, his ringtone of SONG CRY starts playing, breaking the stillness of the room. The model huffed, he already had seen this coming that some of his friends would be checking up on him today but he wonders who would be calling him in the middle of the night. He reaches up for his phone, checking the name on the brightly-lit screen.

**JUNIE-HYUNG IS CALLING…**

The ends of his soft pink lips curled upwards as he slides his thumb across the screen, accepting the call. “ _Hello, hyung?_ ” he greets warmly as thinks about his hyung who has been his rock for the past years. “ _Why are you calling me in the middle of the night? Did you miss me that much?_ ” he teased. There was a snort before the caller responds.

“ _What?_ _I’m not even allowed to call you now?_ ” Yeonjun sounded like he was mad but Soobin knew his hyung was just being dramatic. “ _Just wanted to check up on you…I saw your show tonight, you did well, Soobin-ah. Hyung is proud of you._ ”

“ _Thank you, hyung._ ” Soobin said with a smile. “ _Your latest album was in the TOP 10 of Oricon Charts. That’s really impressive, Junie-hyung. You’re in LA right now, yeah?”_

There was hummed reply followed by: “ _Yeah, we’re just finishing up some scenes for the MV before I can fly back to Seoul in around two days, give and take depending on the weather. What about you? Do you have time to visit us? It’s time for the gang to gather around, you know._ ”

Soobin tries to remember his schedule for the week. “ _I can fly back to Korea this Saturday. I just have to finish three photo shoots then I’ll be free for the weekend._ ”

“ _That’s great. And you can always talk to me right?_ ”

He suddenly feels guilty for not telling the older male about the undeleted text message. “ _I know hyung. I’m fine._ ”

“ _Soobin…I don’t want you to think that you should lie just to reassure me, okay? You can always tell me anything and I won’t judge you._ ”

Soobin remains quiet for a moment so Yeonjun presses on. “ _It’s almost his birthday…how are you coping with that?_ ”

“ _I’m coping with the best way I can, hyung. Ignoring and trying to forget that dreaded day. I thought that I’m doing well…but sometimes, my mind just brings me back. I hate it. I hate it so much. I hate the fact that no matter what I do, he’ll always be a part of me._ ”

“ _I wouldn’t blame you for feeling that way, Soobin. All I can say is that it’s better to spill these things out to someone you trust than bottling this all up,_ ” Yeonjun pauses. “ _And I’m proud of you, for being stronger, for being able to face this._ ”

“ _I’m not so sure about that. Sometimes I keep wishing that he would just appear before me and tell me what the hell I did for him to leave me and disappear. Am I that fucking unworthy to even receive a proper closure?_ ”

“ _Don’t blame yourself for his shit. What he did was a dumbass thing to do and that’s none of your fault. Soobin, you deserve to be loved every second of the day. Don’t lessen yourself for something that’s none of your fault._ ”

Soobin suddenly feels like crying as he listens to the singer’s words, coaxing his heart. “ _I…uh, thank you, hyung. I don’t know what I’d ever do without you._ ”

“ _I should be the one saying that. How would I ever reach my dreams without my supportive bunny by my side? I love you, Soobin-ah. Get some sleep now. We’ll see each other soon._ ”

“ _Bye, hyung. Love you too. See you soon._ ”

He then ends the call, shutting the phone and throwing it on the empty side of the bed. He’ll move on…he just needed time.

The days passed by like a blur and before he knew it, Soobin was already in a plane headed for Seoul. Wearing a white Gucci turtleneck sweater and matching black slacks with his pink-dyed hair covered with a black cap, Soobin had dressed rather casually to avoid attention as his flight back to Seoul was not an official schedule. He didn’t want to get hounded in the airport considering he was alone after he had informed his manager he was flying solo and told the man to stay and handle things back in Tokyo. Still, his manager, Jang Seojun had booked him in the business class as it was his only condition to allow Soobin to travel alone and it would at least partially calm his nerves.

Not long after, Soobin finally found himself in Korean soil after three long years. Having himself signed under AJIN Agency, a Tokyo-based modeling firm had Soobin moving to live in Japan. It was a hard decision but Soobin knew he needed this. Yeonjun occasionally visits him whenever his work brings him to Japan and sometimes during his breaks. But they had to keep the meet-ups in bare minimum since the rumor mill can be quite a hassle if left unchecked. Their fans knew about their friendship but still, people who lived just to make rumors to harm them would always jump at every opportunity. Needless to say, both he and Yeonjun had found themselves in a number of dating rumors in where they’ve always denied it.

With his Prada black carry-on in one hand and a Gucci duffel bag in the other, the model casually strolled in the airport, shades and mask on to hide his face as he headed straight for the taxi area. After slipping inside, he gives the driver the address of the hotel he had booked a room for the duration of his stay in Seoul and took off his shades. He watched in awe at the tall buildings and skyscrapers as they drove by the streets of Seoul, earning an amused chuckled from the driver. “Haven’t been here before?” the man asked.

Soobin blinked before slightly pulling down on his mask to reply back to the driver. “No,” He shakes his head. “Um, I haven’t been here for three years.”

“Well, then you better spend your time here wisely,” the man advised. “There’s nothing like home. Yesterday, I also had another passenger, just like you. Pretty young, hasn’t been here for three years.” He sends Soobin a smile. “Make some good memories while you’re here, son.”

“I’ll try,” Soobin smiled. “I’m just here to see some old friends.”

Ten minutes later, the model finally arrived at MONO Hotel. He left a tip at the kind driver and bid him off with a friendly wave before turning around and making his way up the steps leading to the grand 5-star hotel. His black Chelsea boots clacked against the tiled floors of the spacious lobby, there were a few hotel guest seated in the lounge area mingling among the others while some was busy with their own business, either with their phone or laptop.

“Good Morning Sir, how may I help?” the receptionist asked kindly, voice clear and amicable. She stood with poise as she bowed in greeting, a smile on her lips.

“I had a reservation under the name Choi Soobin,” the model said, showing his ID to confirm his identity. The woman nodded and clicked a couple of keys in the computer before she handed Soobin his card key and bid him off with a “Thank you for choosing MONO Hotel. Enjoy your stay!” and a wave before Soobin made his way to the elevator, thankfully there wasn’t so many people waiting only another guy in a green hooded jacket that mostly covered his face was standing on the elevator next to his. Soobin turned his attention to the elevator in front of him, stepping in as he slipped on his shades and mask. He pressed the button for the 5th floor and watched as the elevator doors slowly closed.

His hotel room was spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows that impressed him with the elevated view of the city, a queen-sized bed with the softest linens and a wide bath tub that made the model whimper in delight as he imagined himself in a long relaxing bath, washing off his exhaustion from the travel. Deciding against unpacking his luggage as he would only be staying for a few days, Soobin toed off his shoes and flopped on the bed, burying himself under the white cover to get a nap.

It was around noon when Soobin woke up and decided to entertain himself with scrolling through his social media, checking the articles about him. He read a few from the photo shoots he did back in Tokyo before finally sending a message to Yeonjun.

**GIANT BUNNY [12:05 PM]**

_Hyung, I’m here at MONO Hotel. Just arrived this morning, where you at?_

**JUNIE-HYUNG [12:06 PM]**

_There were some slight changes to my schedule. My flight was pulled back until later this evening. I’m sorry, Soobin-ah. Why are you staying at a hotel, idiot? You know the password to my place. You can stay there, you know._

**GIANT BUNNY [12:07 PM]**

_That’s alright, hyung. I’ll just enjoy my first day here. And I can’t possibly burden you. Plus, the paparazzi will come hounding after us if they see me coming out of your house._

**JUNIE-HYUNG [12:08 PM]**

_I guess. Do you want me to message the others that you’re back or not?_

**GIANT BUNNY [12:09 PM]**

_No, we can surprise them when you’re back._

**JUNIE-HYUNG [12:10 PM]**

_Okay then. Send me some pictures of you enjoying as proof._

And so he did.

Soobin left his hotel room, casually dressed in a plain white shirt tucked into a pair of skinny jeans under a denim jacket. As always, he was decked in a cap and shades. He strolled down the street, eyes on his phone as he followed the directions on the map towards the hole-in-the-wall café that he found while surfing the net. BLUE ORANGEADE was located a couple of blocks away from the hotel and was relatively empty with the crowd dwindling down into a few numbers as it was past noon. The café was quaint, a mismatched of antediluvian and contemporary designs mixed into one. It overlooked the park right across the street. All in all, Soobin thinks it was a perfect spot to spend his afternoon.

With a cold glass of lemonade and a plate of club sandwich with a side of fries, Soobin settled in the booth at the corner, far from any eyes. He snapped a few pictures and sent it to the singer before enjoying his meal. Nibbling on a fry, Soobin turned his attention to the park, watching the people go about with their life. He smiled as he watched a couple of kids take turns on riding one bike before he noticed something…no, more like someone at the corner of his eye. It was the guy in the same green jacket he saw back at the hotel earlier, but this time, his hood was down, revealing a mop of curly brown hair. His back was turned against him, busy snapping pictures of the park. The scene looked so achingly familiar that Soobin couldn’t help but remember a fond memory of the past.

_“Hyung, try climbing that rock! Come on, I’ll take your picture!”_

_“YAH! Are you trying to kill me?_

_“You’re my precious hyung, why would I kill you at our favorite spot?”_

_“You’re a horrible liar, Hyuka.”_

He shakes his head, stopping himself from reminiscing the past. After downing the remaining content of his lemonade and finishing off his sandwich with a few more bites, Soobin slowly makes his way to the park. He decided to relax and unwind for a few more hours before heading back to the hotel. Humming a tune softly, he strides towards one of the empty benches, a few benches away from the guy in green jacket who was crouching in front of a dog, snapping a few pictures with his DSLR. Soobin couldn’t really make out the guy’s face since his hair had covered most part of it, with a mask covering half of his face.

Although curious, the model fishes his phone out of his pocket and took a shot of the sky and the park before sending it to Yeonjun captioned with “I took a walk and enjoyed a meal”. He then leans back on the bench, slowly breathing out as he pulled down his mask and took off his shades for a moment, eyes closing as he feels the warmth of the sun against his bare unblemished skin and listen to the birds chirping and the children’s laughter like a BGM to some romcom movie, lulling himself to a comfortable haze—

_CLICK!_

Soobin jerked in surprised at the sound of the camera shutter, heart pounding as the anxiety held him with a tight grip, head whipping around in fear as he searched for any sign of media or paparazzi that may have taken his photo without consent. He finds himself locking eyes on the guy in green jacket with the camera covering the top part of his face as he was caught in the middle of taking a photo. Flustered and worried, Soobin abruptly stands up, ready to scold the guy when all his thoughts left him the moment the guy puts down his camera at chest level, his words dying in his throat leaving him speechless as the guy before him looked at him with a sheepish expression, scratching his nape. “I’m sorry for taking your photo without your permission, it’s just that you look really…pretty,” he blushed at his own words, shifting his stance as he fumbled with his camera. “I can delete it if you want.”

But his words fell deaf on Soobin’s ears as he came face to face with the guy that haunted his dreams for the past three years. The self*deprecating thoughts that filled his mind and the words he cried out to his pillow every night since that day three years ago flooded his head. _Where were you all these years? Why did you break your promise?_ But most of all he wanted to ask, _Was I never enough?_ His mind torn into wanting to know the answer and have reality slapped him with the truth that it was his fault but there was also a part of him that wanted to hear a lie, to protect his heart. Despite the struggle in his mind, he stood there, hands trembling at his side as looked at the guy before him with a torn look. He could only utter one thing, something that he hasn’t heard or said for a long time.

“Kai.”

“Uh…” the guy looked at him in confusion, head tilting to the side as he smiled awkwardly. “I’m sorry, do I know you?” he scratched his cheek with his pointer finger. “Um, you must have seen my blog then, I guess? I’m a freelance photographer, I normally do travel projects…” he trailed off hesitantly as Soobin continued to look at him with a pale-stricken face. “…wait…I guess not then? Okay, this means this is one of those situations—”

“Is this some kind of a prank?” Soobin cuts him off, hurt as he watched Kai act like he doesn’t know him. “You—,” he stops himself, lips wobbling. Many times, he’d run through this scene in his mind, preparing himself for the day he’d meet the guy who broke his heart but now…he didn’t know what to do. “I can’t do this,” he finally says before sprinting off, chest heaving as his tears finally roll down his cheeks, ignoring the call from Kai as his sight blurred brought by the onslaught of tears. Wiping them hastily, he finally reached the hotel and made his way to his room.

A broken sob wretched past his lips the moment the door closed behind him, leaning against it as he slid down on the floor, curling as he cried. His heart clenched in pain as he gritted his teeth, muffling his sobs with a fist, body trembling. How could Kai hurt him like this? Was what happened two years ago not enough? Why did he have to act like Soobin was a stranger?

Half an hour later, Soobin managed to curl himself in his bed, eyes painfully red with cheeks stained with tears from crying. His body felt numb as he stared dully at the window, watching the slowly sinking sun in view. When darkness enveloped his room, the sound of SONG CRY reverberated throughout his room. He weakly accepted the call, thumb sliding across the screen.

“ _Soobin-ah, I’m on my way to the hotel._ ”

When he hears his hyung’s voice, Soobin finally broke down crying once again. His fears and insecurities crawling back on him again. The sound of his crying rattled Yeonjun as he was filled with terror, thinking of the worst. “ _Soobin-ah, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Bunny, talk to me please._ ”

“ _Hyung…it hurts._ ”

“ _What happened, baby?”_ There were muffled sounds in the background. “ _Can you please drive faster?_ ” he was probably talking to the driver. “ _Soobin-ah, deep breaths okay? Come on, follow me okay? Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…_ ”

Throughout their call, Yeonjun had patiently comforted the model, whispering sweet reassurances to him despite having no clue what had happened. When he arrived at Soobin’s hotel room, it broke his heart to find the model curled up on the bed, crying. Throwing his bags on the floor, he quickly joined him on the bed, finding his spot next to the model as he pulled him to a hug, caressing his hair. The crying died down, leaving Soobin in between hiccups and small sobs as he tucked his face into the singer’s neck, seeking comfort.

Yeonjun kept quiet, letting Soobin have the option to stay quiet or tell him what had caused him to break down like this. After awhile, he feels the model shift in his arm, slightly pulling away to look at him in the eyes. The singer frowned as he took in the sight before him; Soobin’s eyes were swollen and red, lips bitten raw and clear tear tracks on his cheeks. He looked tired, hurt…and broken. It was like he was taken back to that night three years ago, when he was woken up by a call from Soobin, who had cried, saying something was wrong with Kai and the next morning, he was gone.

“I saw him, hyung.” Soobin said. Yeonjun froze, eyes widening before he lets out a small frown. “Do you mean…” he left the name unsaid.

The model nodded, sniffling. “He looked so mature and yet so…youthful, hyung. He’d grown up so beautiful and happy unlike me who had been so miserable. How could I be so foolish to think he was also hurting like me when he was the one who left me? He has already erased me from his life.”

“Hold on. What do you mean, Soobin-ah?”

“He has forgotten about me or more like…acted like he doesn’t know me. He looked at me like I was a stranger, hyung.” Soobin scowled. “It was like we’re back to being strangers…but this time we’re strangers with secrets.”

“Are you sure it’s him?” Yeonjun frowned. “Maybe you mistook him for someone else.”

Soobin frowned, sitting up as he lifted a brow at the older. “I fucking stared at him and he responded to his name when I called him.”

“This is really…shocking,” Yeonjun muttered, carding his fingers through his blonde hair. He looks at Soobin for a moment. “Kai must have a reason for acting like that.”

“Hyung, are you defending him?”

“No, I mean…,” he sighed. “This is probably going to sound dumb…but what are the chances that he actually doesn’t know you?”

Soobin stares at the singer, dumbfounded. “You mean like amnesia and those stuffs in the movie? That’s just…impossible, hyung.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “I mean, what are the chances for that to happen? We should have heard something about it then. But no, he just left hyung and now he just appears out of thin air right in front of me. This is fucking impossible.”

“No, not impossible but rare occurrences,” Yeonjun corrects him. “I mean, think about it? Why would he even pretend to not know you?”

“I don’t know…maybe because he has moved on?” Soobin whined. “Why are we even talking about this?”

“I think you should meet him.”

“WHAT?” Soobin shrieked. “Why would I even do that?”

“To get a closure,” Yeonjun responds. “Maybe then you’ll actually move on and stop hurting yourself. This is an opportunity.”

“Have you forgotten the part that he thinks I’m a stranger?”

“Then get to know him,” Yeonjun shot back. “Get to know him and see if he’s just lying. Just try it and maybe you’ll get some answers, Soobin-ah. Can you do this for me?”

Soobin sighed. “I’ll try…what should I do?”

Yeonjun scratches his chin thoughtfully, before he smiles at Soobin. “Did he say something that might…uh,” he waves his arms in the air. “You know, give you a clue about his life now?”

“Um, he did mention that he’s a photographer and he has a social media. And I think he’s staying in the same hotel as me.”

“What makes you think so?”

“I saw him this morning waiting for the elevator.”

“That makes things easier. Now first off, find his social media so you can check him while I order some room service. Wine or champagne?”

“Hyung, I want juice.”

Hours later with the clock hitting twelve, Soobin glances at his phone by the nightstand. Yeonjun had already left home earlier with a promise to meet him for breakfast with their other friends. He practically demanded that the model better have some results tomorrow morning. Soobin sighed, wondering if he should even do this. What if he sees something he doesn’t like? Or maybe Kai had already found someone else?

_He called you pretty,_ his mind unhelpfully supplies and Soobin hates the way he blushed at it. Even now, Kai still has his way with making Soobin’s heart flutter with words, albeit unknowingly. He groaned rolling around bed, thrashing his arms and legs in tantrum before finally sitting up, leaning on the headboard as he reluctantly grabbed his phone. Biting his lip, he slides his thumb across the screen and presses on the instagram icon. He then realizes that he didn’t have a clue on Kai’s account. Hesitating, he tries to type out HUENINGKAI and finds an account with a following of more than 100,000. He clicks on the account and finds it to be aesthetically designed with travel photos with a few pictures of the said guy in between a few.

Kai looked happy in the photos, Soobin bitterly notes. As if he hadn’t broken someone’s heart. He mindlessly scrolled down, watching the memories over the course of two years. The model frowned, curious at the timeline. He had scrolled to the very bottom of the photos and saw the first picture to be posted one a half a year ago. It was weird and…puzzling. It was like this current Kai just recently…existed.

Sighing, he pushes his thoughts away and tries to go to bed when he accidentally tapped on the heart button for a photo that was a couple of months ago. It was Kai standing right in front of Eiffel tower, arms spread wide as he grinned at the camera. Soobin’s eyes widened in horror as he quickly untapped the heart icon, flustered and panicking as a barrage of expletives spilled out of his mouth. “No, no, no…SHIT!” he promptly screams as he sees the notification popped into his screen and threw his phone away, landing on the edge of the bed.

Half a minute later, Soobin nervously crawled on four towards his phone, tapping on his screen and slightly flinching as the screen light illuminated his face, showcasing his nervous features. It was a direct message from Kai.

**@hueningkai**

_Hi, not to be weird about it, I’m kinda glad when I saw your face in my notifications. I wanted to apologize for what I did earlier this afternoon. Did I freak you out? And…I haven’t deleted the pictures yet but if you want me too, I can do it._

  1. _I’m hoping you’ll send me a reply. I’m kind of worried coz you looked like you were hurt…?_



_PSS. I’m seriously trying not to have a mental breakdown when I realized that you’re a PRETTY famous model. GOD, please tell me I didn’t offend you._

Soobin couldn’t help but smile a bit at the message despite his fraying nerves. He had half a mind not to reply but remembers Yeonjun’s words reminding him to take this chance to finally get some answers. And really, he was befuddled. The way Kai had messaged him was like he really didn’t know Soobin.

**@choisoobin_official**

_Hi, um…that’s okay, I guess? I’m sorry for running out from you earlier. I kinda panicked because you looked like someone I knew. And you can keep my photos. I’m used to getting my photos taken anyway, with or without consent. ;)_

**@hueningkai**

_I don’t know if you’re just being sarcastic or nice but it’s effective, I’m feeling guilty. You know what. I’m going to delete the photos but in return can I REQUEST (asking for permission_ _J_ _) to take your photos. I’ll make sure to tag you when I post it._

_And just curiously asking, do I have the same name with that someone? Coz you called my name though._

**@choisoobin_official**

_I’m just being nice, Haha. I’m fine with this impromptu photo shoot but I thought you do travel photography._

@ **hueningkai**

_Yeah, I mostly take travel projects but I’m still a freelance photographer._

_That’s great! Are you free the day after tomorrow? 9 AM. Well, tomorrow 9 AM since it’s like 1 am now._ _J_

_I’ll be scouting a few locations tomorrow and finish some work first._

**@choisoobin_official**

_That’s perfectly fine. I actually have prior appointment today. What should I wear?_

**@hueningkai**

_Anything you like, it’ll look pretty anyway. Um, thank you once again for doing this. I’ll get some sleep now. See you tomorrow, Soobin-sshi._

“You’re going on a date with the same guy who fucking broke your heart and disappeared three years ago,” Choi Beomgyu deadpanned as he lifted a brow at the model sitting right across from him. The twenty one year old choreographer shakes his head, sipping on glass of orange juice before he shoots Yeonjun who was sitting next to Soobin an exasperated look. “What romcom movie am I starring in?” he suspiciously looks around the café, “Is this a hidden camera prank?”

Soobin sighed. “No, Beomgyu. This is not a prank and it’s not a date. I…don’t think I’m ready for that,” the model sent him a small smile. “I just wanted to find closure.”

“Uh huh,” Beomgyu hummed thoughtfully. He wasn’t there to witness the model’s slump and breakdown three years ago as he had just met the model and singer at a party held at Yeonjun’s places a year ago. Beomgyu was the newly hired choreographer at Yeonjun’s company and the said idol was happy to introduce his bestfriend. Despite the short amount of time they had spent as friends compared to the others in their friend group, both males had gotten incredibly close to the point that Beomgyu knew everything regarding Soobin’s past which puts him in disbelief at the rather soft-hearted male.

“I can’t believe,” he placed back the juice on the table. “This plan is ridiculous.”

“No, it’s not,” Yeonjun argued. “It is going to help Soobin get the closure he needs.”

“That’s what you think but it is just going to open up old wounds.” Beomgyu snapped. He didn’t want to sound like a bad person but he was merely acting out of concern for his best friend. “I get what you’re trying to do here, the both of you but my question is…” he looks at Soobin straight in the eye. “Are you willing to accept the answer that you’ll get from Kai?”

It took a moment before Soobin could make out some words. “I can’t promise you what I’ll do in the future, Beomgyu but for now, in the present…I just want to get some peace in here.” He smiles sadly as he points at his chest. “I hope you’ll understand why I’m doing this.”

“I’m your friend, Soobin. I’ll be here whatever happens.”

“Thank you.”

Yeonjun smiled as he watched the two. “Uh…now that we’ve moved past that…does anybody want to tell Taehyun that Kai is back?”

Eight-thirty in the morning the following day finds Soobin at the park, sitting on the same bench as he watched a few kids play around with paper planes. One child was happily boasting his neatly colored paper plane to his friends, making _vroom-vroom_ noises as he ran around the park with his friends, minds occupied with their own imagination. Soobin envied their carefree youth. His nervousness of their scheduled meet-up had brought Soobin out at an earlier time as he had decided it would give him time to relax his nerves.

He was nervous and maybe… _scared._

He didn’t know how this day would end.

Would he be getting some answers? Or would he still be stuck questioning the truth?

He checked the sleeves of his blue knitted sweater for the umpteenth time out of nervousness before patting his dark jeans. Opting for a casual look, Soobin had forgone his cap for a brown beret and a pair of fashion glasses. He looked like any ordinary university student. The model played with his phone as he waited when a white paper plane lands by his feet. He looks around, checking to see if one of the kids from before was the owner but they were nowhere in sight. Smiling, he picks up the paper plane. His fingers tracing the crudely drawn flowers on the wings of the paper plane followed by a hastily scribbled line of _can’t you see me?_

_CLICK!_

The sudden flash startles Soobin as he accidentally dropped the paper plane on the ground before he turns to shoot the photographer an exasperated look. “I thought you would ask my permission before taking my photos?” he joked as Huening Kai grinned at him from a few steps away, camera in hand.

“Sorry, it was a too good of a shot to miss it,” he responds with a boyish smile. “Besides, I already got your permission a day ago.” He then takes a seat on the bench next to the model, looking good in his white long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans as he picked up the paper plane. “Were you playing with this?”

“No,” Soobin huffed. “I just picked it up, probably flew far too away from its owner.”

“Paper planes huh…,” Kai mused thoughtfully. “There’s a story that says that when you are looking for something, or someone, you should write it on a paper plane as it will carry it across the sky before falling on the very person or thing that you are looking for.”

The model chuckled. “You’re just making that up.”

“No, I heard it from one of the elders when I was out traveling. Apparently it brought back his missing wife.”

“Really? Sounds dubious.”

“Come on, give it a try.” Kai laughed as he plucked out two sheets of paper from his bag. “We can make one together.” Soobin shakes his head as he reluctantly accepts the paper and wrote down his wish hastily before starting to fold it into a plane. He glanced at the photographer and found Kai smiling at him, a neatly folded paper plane in his palm.

“That was fast.”

“I took up origami as a hobby.”

When Soobin was finished with his, Kai suggested that they head over to the small hill in the park. After a slow trudged up the hill with Kai sneaking shots here and there, they were finally at the top. A large excited grin was plastered on the photographer’s face as he stretched out his arm, ready to throw his paper plane in the sky. “Come on, Soobin-ssi! In a count of one…two…three…fly!”

Two neatly folded paper planes flew across the sky, swirling around as it was caught by a strong breeze of air carrying it somewhere far before disappearing between the long lines of trees. Kai excitedly clapped his hands as he looked at the model. “See? It carried our wishes.”

Soobin shot him an unamused look. “What are you talking about? It probably disappeared there in the forest.”

“No, it will come to us at the right time like all things to do. Be patient, Soobin-ssi.” Kai chuckled.

“You’re just bluffing.”

“Sometimes you just have to believe things happen for a reason, you know. Explanations can be quite difficult to give and receive but there are times that we just have to let things be.”


End file.
